Factory activity slows in state

Federal shutdown limits information available

Associated Press

Associated Press

Published 7:51 pm, Tuesday, October 15, 2013

FILE - In this July 1, 2013, file photo, bottles of Brooklyn Local 2 are loaded on to a conveyor for labeling, at the Brooklyn Brewery in the Williamsburg section of the Brooklyn borough of New York. Factory activity in the New York region expanded more slowly in October, a sign that the partial government shutdown may be weighing on the economy. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) ORG XMIT: NY120

Factory activity in the New York region expanded more slowly in October, a sign that the partial government shutdown may be weighing on the economy.

The Empire State manufacturing index fell to 1.5 in October from 6.3 in September, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Tuesday. Any reading above zero indicates expansion. Despite the decline, manufacturing in the region has grown for five straight months.

A measure of new orders rose, pointing to healthier future growth. And factories continued to add jobs, albeit at a slower pace.

The New York Fed's regional manufacturing report will receive more attention than usual this month because it's one of the few available measures of the economy during the shutdown, which is now in its third week. Government data, including the monthly employment report and retail sales figures, have been delayed.

The decline suggests that the budget showdown in Washington has hit manufacturers' confidence. The New York Fed surveys about 100 manufacturing firms in the state in the first two weeks of the month to compile its index.

The report "shows some clear strains from the fiscal debacle," said Bricklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas, in a note to clients.

But economists also pointed out that the drop could have been worse. Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics, said the index fell into negative territory during two previous budget battles in 2011 and 2012.